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Ahead of the Game: The Parent's Guide To Youth Sports Concussion

Rosemarie Scolaro Moser's new book, Ahead of the Game: The Parent's Guide to Youth Sports Concussion (University Press of New England) is just what it says it is: a practical, no-nonsense guide for parents about sport concussions.

Moser brings to the subject matter a unique background: As a clinician who has treated hundreds if not thousands of concussed student-athletes at the Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey, she brings real world experience to the subject, not just as a neuropsychologist with specialized expertise on baseline and post-concussion neurocognitive testing but in the management and treatment of concussions, including the academic accommodations that are often needed during the sometimes long road to recovery.

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Kids, Sports, and Concussion - A Guide for Coaches and Parents

A comprehensive and informative book that should be a must-read for all youth sports parents and coaches in contact and collision sports. "I highly recommend this book," says MomsTeam's founder and publisher, Brooke de Lench. Not only is it based on the latest thinking in the rapidly evolving field of concussion evaluation and management and make concussion terminology easy to understand, but, in explaining the short-term and long-term effects of concussion and the concussion management process, Dr. Meehan arms sports parents with all the information they need in making informed choices about treatment and when it is safe for their child to return to the playing field. For the full review of Dr. Meehan's book, click here.

William P. Meehan III, MD

William P. Meehan III, MD, is the is Director of the Sports Concussion Clinic and the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in the Division of Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Meehan is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine and sports medicine. He conducts both clinical and scientific research in the area of concussive brain injury. Read more.

Featured Articles

Emergency medicine provider use the 15-point Glasgow Coma Scale to determine level of
consciousness based on responses to various stimuli. Patients with suspected concussive injury are categorized as having mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) if they score a 14-15 on on the GCS, but the scale is not useful in assessing the severity of concussion or how long recovery will take, so that the terms mTBI and concussion should not be used interchangeably, says William P. Meehan, III, MD, MomsTeam concussion medicine expert and author of Kids, Sports, and Concussions.

Concussion expert Dr. William P. Meehan, III explains why athletes who try to intentionally fail a baseline neurocognitive test in order to be able to return to play sooner after a concussion are only putting themselves at risk.

The difference between a concussion sign and a concussion symptom is that a sign of concussion is one that can be noticed, seen or observed while a symptom is something only the athlete feels or experiences.

Omega-3 fatty acids may help memory recovery after concussion suggests a 2011 study in rats. Given their other health benefits, it is "hard to see the harm" of consuming a fish oil supplement after head injury, says Dr. William P. Meehan, III.

Athletes who have sustained a concussion are at increased risk for sustaining another compared to athletes without a concussion history. Although experts offer several possible explanations, the precise reasons are unknown.